Fate and Dominoes
by ehtehkuh
Summary: Mariko "Mari" Takahashi had intentions of driving her friend, Matt Sohinki, home. Then, one thing led to another, and... What do you know? SMOSH GAMES/MARHINKI FANFICTION!
1. Chapter 1

**This story includes a domino effect, also considered as "cause and effect." It is basically a series of events in direct relation to each other, each event being the consequence/result of the event that occurred before it.**

**I chose to write the story in this format because I felt that this would be the best format to use in order to prolong a magnificent story about two people who cave under the power of love. (Or maybe I just don't have a plan :P)**

**CHARACTERS:  
****Anthony Padilla  
****Ian Hecox  
****Mariko "Mari" Takahashi  
****Joshua/Josh "Jovenshire" Ovenshire  
****David "Lasercorn" Moss  
****Matt Sohinki, A.K.A Sohinki**

**SHIPS:  
****Just Mari/Sohinki, also known as "Marhinki."**

**Enjoy! This is my first story, so don't expect much!**

* * *

**Third person POV**

"GAME BANG!" Anthony shouted. The rest of the members of the Smosh Games crew continued to repeat those words immediately afterwards, creating a sound similar to an echo. They all even remained in somewhat of a "freeze frame," even though this was reality and there was no unnatural force constricting their movements or telling them to remain "frozen." After a few seconds, Jovenshire finally decided he had completely "thawed" and resumed movement, walking over to the camera and shutting it off. After doing so, the group continued laughing at Ian's appearance. His mini skirt that provided little coverage and his "wondrous" top that stuck to his chest like glue. It took Anthony all of his willpower not to instagram Ian's hilarious appearance.

"Dude, Melanie watches Game Bang," Ian said while getting up, directing his statement to Anthony. Previously, Ian was on the floor after having pretended he was suffocating. Then, Mari, the only female member of the Smosh Games crew, proceeded to use her "scissor attack" on Ian. Ah, but it was all part of the punishment he and Mari got for being the losers of that particular Game Bang. The punishment for this Game Bang was that the two losers had to pretend to be two super heroes on a date. And, like most punishments on Game Bang, "It just had to include cross-dressing," Ian thought. Ian had to dress up like Wonder Woman, while Mari had to dress up like Batman.

"So?" Anthony asked, still giggling.

"SO-" Ian replied. "Let's cut down on the cross-dressing!"

"No way! There are only a few moments in life where you can see something like-" Anthony paused for a bit, holding his breath in effort to contain his laughter. "- like THAT!" Anthony exclaimed, pointing at Ian and laughing so hard his gut hurt. The rest of the crew (besides Ian, obviously) mirrored Anthony's actions, causing Ian to fume. Ian then exclaimed a large string of cuss words, much too vulgar to ever be repeated. This caused everyone to quickly shut up, creating an eerie silence in the room.

"Hey, man. We're sorry," said David "Lasercorn" Moss. "It isn't like this is the first time you've cross-dressed. Geez, take it easy."

"Yeah, but this-" Ian paused and pointed at his outfit, "- is ridiculous! Besides, Mari's all dressed up like a dude, but, APPARENTLY, it's no biggie!"

"Well..." Sohinki started. "Mari makes it work," he said, blushing slightly.

"Thanks, Matt." Mari said, also blushing. Mari raised her hand to give Sohinki a hi-five. However, Sohinki anticipated that this gesture would be a fist bump, so his raised hand was curled in the form of a fist. Both of them quickly changed the shape of their hands in effort of correctly matching the hand-shape of the other person's hand. However, they failed. They failed badly. After a few seconds of unreasonable struggle, both Mari and Sohinki decided to take their hands away and scratched at the back of their own heads, managing awkward chuckles. They both started to blush harder.

Soon enough, the spotlight moved from Ian to Mari and Sohinki, still stuck in their awkward predicament.

"Ooo! Hash-tag MARHINKI!" Lasercorn yelled.

"Shut up, David!" Sohinki yelled. "Show some respect! Mari already has a boyfriend, anyway," Sohinki said with just the slightest hint of disappointment veiled in his voice.

"Actually..." Mari began. "Me and Peter broke up."

"Really?" Sohinki asked, slightly enthusiastic. He then realized that this wasn't the reaction a friend should have in this situation, and quickly changed the tone of his voice. "I mean... I-I'm so sorry, Mari. Peter really missed out. You didn't deserve to get your heart broken."

"Well, it was a mutual break-up, I guess," Mari said. She noticed that Lasercorn was looking at her quizzically, but just dismissed it. "I guess we just weren't meant to be." Mari shrugged, her facial expression saying, "Whattaya gonna' do?"

On the outside, Sohinki was sad for Mari. On the inside, Sohinki was jumping for joy! "YES!" he thought. "Mari's single!"

Sohinki instantly fell in love with Mari from the moment he met her. Her luscious hair, her flawless face, her strong eyes, and her amazing figure. But, sooner or later, Sohinki realized Mari was much more than a face. He fell in love with her personality. Her humor, her determination, her kindness and, most importantly, her geekiness, which Sohinki found as an uncommon trait for the female of the homo-sapiens. Sure, Mari wasn't the best at video games, which was usually Sohinki's standard for girls. But, "I don't give a shit!" Sohinki thought. "There aren't many girls out there like Mari. I mean, how many girls have a face that can sail a thousand ships **and** understand what TF2 means?!"

The only problem was that Mari was in a committed relationship.

But, was that really a problem anymore?

Sohinki smiled at that thought. Well, he smiled on the inside.

"But, it's too soon to ask her out," Sohinki thought. "I gotta' give Mari at least a week to recover from this break up."

* * *

After a couple of hours, the six YouTube hosts finally finished all of the pizza that they ordered from Domino's. Each person consumed at least four slices, Jovenshire consuming the most: a whopping nine slices! Everybody had a slightly aching stomach due to their large food consumption. After a few minutes of everyone groaning and complaining about how much their stomach hurt, Sohinki decided to finally ask the typically dreaded question.

"So," he started. "Who's gonna' edit?" Editing meant no fun and sleep deprivation, which are the two common dislikes that are shared in the group. But, for some reason, almost immediately, both Ian and Anthony raised their hands. "Us!" they said in unison.

Mari and Sohinki conveyed confused looks. The answer to this typically dreaded question is usually an excuse as to why they _can't _edit the video. "No one ever volunteers to edit," Sohinki thought. "What the hell is this? Some sort of _Hunger Games_ plot twist? _Oh, I volunteer as tribute!_" Mari thought.

Lasercorn and Jovenshire, however, had smirks practically imprinted on their faces. Obviously, they knew something Mari and Sohinki didn't. "Oh yeah..." Jovenshire thought.

"Perfect," Lasercorn thought. "They're following the plan perfectly."

* * *

**Well, that's the end of chapter 1! It's not as long as I would've liked it to be... (That's what she said.) Anyway, if you liked it, please leave a review telling me! And if you didn't like it, well... Leave a review anyway! No one is stopping you! Plus, constructive criticism just means that the second chapter will be better than this one! (I know what you're thinking. "This girl is full of B.S.")**

**See y'all next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, hello there, lovelies! I am back due to unexpected positive feedback! You guys are AWESOME. Anyway, in this chapter, you will find out why Lasercorn and Jovenshire seemed so mischievous in the last chapter. Enjoy c:**

**(NOTE: I don't own Smosh. If I did, there would probably be a lot more Asian people on the Smosh staff. Just sayin'.)**

* * *

**_THE DAY BEFORE..._**

* * *

**Third person POV**

_Ring ring! Ring ring!_

"Hey, guys," said Mari. "I'm gonna' go for a sec. Just need to take this call. You guys okay with that?"

"Whatever," the gaming trio said. Mari left with great haste.

Jovenshire, Lasercorn and Sohinki were extremely bored. They all had already finished and edited their own video, and couldn't think of any way to occupy themselves other than just being in each other's presence, which was not a very stimulating activity. The only reason the trio remained at the Smosh Games HQ instead of returning home was because Ian and Anthony announced that they were going to throw a party of "epic proportions" tonight at the Smosh Games HQ, and they didn't want to go back home just to return back. In result, the three gamers just hung out at the HQ.

Jovenshire was just twiddling his thumbs; he accidentally left his smartphone at home, so no playing _Angry Birds_, sadly. Lasercorn was ferociously chomping through package after package of organic fruit snacks. Sohinki was playing a game on his iPhone, moving his finger with as much precision as an app required. Jovenshire couldn't stand the boredom anymore, so he suggested that they all should participate in the playing of _Mario Kart 64_, for Jovenshire wanted to "kick it, old-school." Sohinki and Lasercorn groaned in disapproval; the reason the gamers hadn't suggested playing a game earlier, though this suggestion seemed so perfect in this situation, was because they could never decide what game they wanted to play together. And, if one person wanted to play solo, he'd have to endure two craning heads with big mouths that would constantly criticize every action he perform in the video game. It was just a lose-lose situation for all members of the gaming trio.

Sohinki was the first to reply verbally. "No way! That game sucks, and you know it," said Sohinki.

"C'mon! Let's take a trip down memory lane, Sohinki!" said Jovenshire.

"No," Sohinki said. He spoke this word with a calm, yet stern, voice.

"FINE! What game do you wanna' play?" Jovenshire asked, obviously irritated.

"Let's play _DOTA_!" Sohinki said, cheerily.

"NO WAY! You always win!" Jovenshire whined.

"That's why I want to play it," Sohinki said, smirking.

Lasercorn finally spoke up after downing about twenty packages of fruitiness. "I'd rather play _Mario Kart 64 _then _DOTA_."

"Yes! Two versus one! I WIN!" Jovenshire exclaimed. He then proceeded to race to the gaming room. Lasercorn and Sohinki followed behind, Sohinki moving at a much slower rate than Lasercorn.

* * *

"God dammit, Matt! Stop it with the red shells!" Jovenshire yelled in anger.

"No way, man! You were the one who wanted to play this game!" Sohinki yelled back, obviously enjoying this game much more than expected. Jovenshire groaned, realizing it was too late to fix the mistake he made of suggesting to play this game.

"Yes! I. AM. VICTORIOUS!" said Sohinki.

"DAMMIT!" shouted Jovenshire. In his fury, he spiked his controller against the ground. The controller shattered upon impact.

"Josh, WHAT THE HELL?!" said Sohinki. Jovenshire just sat there silently, nostrils flared.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll just go get another controller," Lasercorn said. "Josh, how 'bout you just take my controller for now and you and Sohinki can start a new race. Does that sound okay, you guys?" Lasercorn asked.

Jovenshire was the first to reply. "Whatever, man. And don't treat us like we're fucking preschoolers," Jovenshire said, obviously still fuming. Lasercorn was taken aback by Jovenshire reply. Sohinki saw that Lasercorn was slightly hurt by Jovenshire's remark and said, "Thanks, David." Lasercorn brightened a bit and said, "You're welcome, Matt." Jovenshire muttered, "Gay," trying to disguise this remark with a cough. Lasercorn and Sohinki turned quickly to glare at Jovenshire.

* * *

**Lasercorn's POV**

"Well, I see you're back to your immature self," I said.

"Hey, man. I just tell it how it is," Josh rebutted.

"My fiancee would like to differ," I said back with a smug expression. Josh just shrugged his shoulders, which meant I won this small battle we had. I then just walked away calmly, like a boss.

I headed toward the "special room" at the end of the hall. It used to just be a room that's only sole purpose was to take up space. Then, I decided we should stock up on video game necessities in case of emergencies. Now, that room is PACKED. Like, if a zombie apocalypse happened right now, we'd have enough gaming gear and fruit snacks to last until the end of our lives.

"La di dee da la di doo," I hummed quietly, casually strolling down the hall. About halfway down the hall, I heard the sound of crying. The sound was muffled due to the walls. I then realized that Mari hadn't returned yet. "Holy shit!" I thought. I immediately started to track the sound, trying to find out where it came from. I had traced the sound all the way to the bathroom. The bathroom door was ajar, so I could peek in.

BUT I DIDN'T PEEK IN, YOU WEIRDOS. THAT'S JUST CREEPY.

I knock softly on the door. "Mari?" I asked. "Everything okay in there?"

"Everything is NOT fucking okay!" Mari exclaimed between sobs. "Just leave me alone, David!"

Obviously, I couldn't just leave Mari alone. She was obviously not okay. I barged through the door. The scene I saw in the bathroom was enough to give me nightmares.

Mari leaned against the sink, her elbows propped up against the edge of the sink. Her face was covered with her dripping make-up. Her bangs were plastered against her face with tears and... And _blood_. After a few seconds, I found out the origin of the blood was her forearms. Her forearms were slashed with cuts, blood still dripping out of them. The cuts were obviously a result of self-harm. In addition, both of her hands were occupied. Her left hand was pressed against her forehead, supporting Mari's head. Her right hand was holding about a dozen pills.

After realizing what she was gonna' do, I immediately swatted the pills out of her hand, made her stand up straight and looked her right in the eyes. I could tell I acted quickly, because Mari's face now conveyed a startled expression. Hell, even I surprised myself! Acting upon instinct in serious situations is nearly and impossible task for me. But, hey. Mari's like my little sister.

I grabbed Mari's by the shoulders and shook her a little bit. "You need to tell me what the fuck is going on right now," I said.

Mari's expression changed from startled back to sad as she broke down and fell in to my arms. I hugged her tightly, the way I would hug one of my little sisters. (Nothing romantic here, sickos. I have a fiancee, remember?)

"P-Peter-" she began, still crying profusely. "- br-broke up wi-with me. He s-said he *gulp* h-hated m-me alw-ways."

Whatever respect I had for Peter immediately vanished and was replaced with fury. But, fury wouldn't help Mari right now. Right now, Mari needed comfort. "There, there," I said, stroking her hair. (I have a fiancee. No Maricorn here, guys.) "Everything's gonna' be just fine, Mari. I know how you feel."

After a few more seconds, Mari let go of me and just looked up at me. I reached over to the medicine cabinet, still open from whenever Mari pulled out those pills, and grabbed some bandages and a package of towelettes. Then, I started to speak. "Mari, I want you to forget about that asshole, wrap yourself up, wipe your face, and meet me and the rest of the guys in ten minutes. Tonight, you're going to Ian and Anthony's party, and you're gonna' have fun, whether you want to or not. Now, the guys expected me to grab a new controller from our inventory. That's it. And it never takes this long to just grab a controller from our stockpile. So, I need to leave right now, or the guys will get suspicious. If you don't come out and meet us in ten minutes, I will fucking call 911 and cause a damn commotion. Don't freak me out again. Got it?" Mari just nodded silently, surprised by my assertiveness. I quickly exited the bathroom, leaving Mari by herself. Upon exit, I slammed the door shut. Then, I just stopped and took breather. A really deep breather.

I had never been so damn serious in my entire life.

I turned my head, trying to crack the little kinks in my neck. Upon doing so, I made eye contact with Josh. I jumped a bit, since I was surprised by his unexpected presence.

I was thinking to myself, "What excuse would be good in this situation?"

* * *

**Jovenshire's POV**

After David left, Matt started up another race. I groaned in disappointment, seeing the inevitable defeat unless I took action right away. It only took me a couple of seconds to find out a way to squirm my way out of another race with Matt.

"Hey, Matt."

Matt looked away from the screen. "Yeah?"

"Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Erin and remind her about tonight's party."

Matt just grunted and handed over his phone hesitantly. I grabbed the phone and smiled.

Back then, Matt would tease me every-fucking-day about "being forever alone" and "growing up to be like one of those crazy old cat ladies." But, since July, Matt's taunting stopped. Why? Because I met Erin. I really think Erin's 'the one.' And, yes, I've said that about other girls, but... This time, it's different. Anyway, since I hooked up with Erin, the only single/available person left in the group was Matt.

Boy, karma's a bitch, ain't it?

Remember _The Golden Rule_, kids.

I liked going out of my way just to remind Matt that I have a girlfriend and he doesn't. Just take that fact and rub it in his face. Hey, call me the bad guy, but don't act like you haven't enjoyed someone else's expense.

Anyway, I really did need to call Erin about the party. She's a pretty forgetful chick. But, she's my forgetful chick. I was about to dial Erin's number when I noticed the _contacts_ button. And I was thinking, "Hey. Another opportunity to piss Matt off? I'll take it!" I pressed the _contacts_ button and started scrolling down his contact list. It was full of a ton of gamers from around the world. Just like my phone. I guess that's why we're friends.

I spent about a minute or two scrolling through his list and reading every name. Matt was still transfixed to the screen, trying to figure out which go-cart had the best speed-and-acceleration combo.I didn't really see anything interesting until I hit the _M_'s. I saw Mari's name. And a very interesting symbol next to her name.

"What's this, Matt?"

"What's what?"

"Why does Mari's name have a HEART NEXT TO IT?!"

"Whuh- What the fuck! Why the hell were you looking through my contact list?!" Matt yelled, blushing profusely. He immediately whipped his hand toward the phone in effort to grab it, but I quickly pulled his phone out of reach. I felt like I had so much power over Matt right now. It felt pretty awesome.

Again, call me the bad guy if you want to.

"First of all, Matt: Why do you have a heart symbol next to Mari's name? Do you- do you like Mari?" I asked, giggling like a little schoolgirl.

"Pft, WHAT?! NO!" Matt exclaimed. "Besides, I -uh- put heart symbols next to the names of all the girls on my contact list."

"Dude, your mom is the only other girl on your contact list. And even SHE doesn't have the heart symbol next to her name."

Matt realized that too many odds were against him. He knew I had him. He exhaled deeply. "Fine. If you must know. I may have a slight crush on Mari. But, she has a boyfriend, and-" I interrupted him by jumping up and down and squealing in excitement. I then stopped to pet Matt's head. "Aw! My little Matty-Watty is growing up!" Matt just swatted my hand away.

"Hand over the phone, Josh. NOW."

"Sure!" I gave Matt his phone back. I didn't need it anymore; I already knew his little secret.

"Now," he said. "Go find Lasercorn and-"

"Why doth thou not confess thine love for Mistress Takahashi?" I said, all medieval-like.

"Just SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT!" Matt yelled.

I put my hands up in defense. "Whoa! Hey, man, " I said, shrugging. "T'was only a joke."

"Whatever," he replied. "Anyway, go find Lasercorn and find out why he's taking such a long fucking time."

"Okay, my little Matty-Watty!" I said, petting his head again. He started to blush even more. He was three shades redder than a firetruck.

Again, call me the bad guy if you want to.

I headed down the hall, toward the "special room." I paused when I saw David leaning against the wall, breathing deeply, no controller in hand. I think I might've even seen blood on his shirt. He turned and saw me. He jumped a bit. I guess I had surprised him.

Anyway, something had obviously happened here that I wasn't aware of. And I was gonna' find out what it was.

* * *

**Third person POV**

Jovenshire walked up to Lasercorn, determined to get information out of him. Lasercorn was trying to figure out an escape plan, but escape was impossible at the moment.

"Lasercorn, where's the controller?" Jovenshire asked calmly.

"Um... Uh..." Lasercorn stammered.

"Why don't you have a new controller with you?"

"Er... Eh..."

"And why the fuck do you have blood on you shirt?"

"Merp-a-lerp-a-derp."

Jovenshire just stared at Lasercorn, his expression saying, "Just tell me the truth."

Lasercorn couldn't think of an excuse or some false statement to tell Jovenshire.

Lasercorn exhaled. "Fine. I'll tell you the truth."

Jovenshire was beaming. He did a little victory dance inside his head. "Hey! You grilled information out of two people in less than seven minutes! Not too shabby!"

"Mari and Peter broke up," Lasercorn said sadly. Lasercorn expected Jovenshire to be empathetic towards Mari and become sad, but his expression remained happy and joyful.

"They broke up? YES!" Jovenshire said.

Lasercorn quickly grew mad at Jovenshire. "Um, why are you suddenly a million times the douche-bag you were before? Not saying that you weren't a douche-bag before. It's just, now you're an even bigger douche-bag than you were before."

Jovenshire looked confused. "What?" he asked. Then, his eyes widened, indicating that he realized his mistake. "No, wait! I meant, that's terrible for Mari. Break-ups are just horrible! I feel sad for Mari. But, this is terrific for Matt!"

Lasercorn just sneered at Jovenshire. "Well then. Matt is also a douche-bag."

Jovenshire rolled his eyes. "What I mean is: Matt has a crush on Mari!"

This time, it was Lasercorn's turn to widen his eyes. "What?!"

"Yeah!" said Jovenshire. "I just found out!"

Lasercorn's mouth moved to form the shape of a very creepy smile. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lasercorn asked Jovenshire.

Jovenshire's smile mirrored Lasercorn's smile. "Oh yeah," he said.

Lasercorn quickly opened the door to the "special room," grabbed a controller, and shut the door. He then turned to look at Jovenshire.

"Let's do this," Lasercorn said.

Jovenshire replied, "Let's."

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of chapter 2! This is my first story, so feel free to criticize so I can realize! LOL C: Anyway, thanks for reading! Follow and favorite if you liked the story! Trust me, lovelies; a lot more romance is coming. You know. All of that ****_steamy_**** stuff and ****_juicy _****stuff :3 *seductive rawr***

**See y'all next time! BYE~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again, lovelies! I am here to write another chapter of my first fanfiction! I'm still in awe at the amount of positive feedback I've received. You guys are awesome c:**

**Anyway, I'm totally skipping the party I mentioned in the last chapter. Let's just say that Mari became all cheery again and may or may not have gotten drunk and kissed Sohinki. I don't know! Hmm, that's a good prompt. "Mari gets a bit hazy and Sohinki finds his chance." Marhinki one-shot, anybody? LOL.**

**Anyway, I'm skipping the party scene because anything I learned about parties is from movies about pregnant teenagers. I'm not really sure what happens at a real party. Ha, #foreveralone. So, the setting will be the one from chapter one, which is technically "present day" because I guess chapter two was basically a flashback or something... I'M CONFUSING MYSELF.**

**JUST ENJOY THIS DING-DONG-DANG CHAPTER.**

* * *

**Third person POV**

_Back to present day..._  
Anthony and Ian got settled and started editing the video. Sohinki and Mari were still really confused. Jovenshire and Lasercorn ran outside and got in Jovenshire's car, for Lasercorn carpooled with Jovenshire that morning.

Jovenshire leaped and landed gracefully on to the driver's seat, putting on his seat-belt with ease. Lasercorn, however, tripped on the way to the passenger's side, thus face-planting hard against the car window. This had cause Jovenshire to laugh hysterically. Lasercorn, being a good sport, laughed along with Jovenshire while getting in to the car. After he got in, the laughter died out because the two guys immediately transitioned to looking for... something. More accurately, some_one_.

"David," Jovenshire hissed. "When is your brother getting here?"

"Chill, Josh. He's coming," said Lasercorn while rubbing the back of Jovenshire's head softly. He knew that Jovenshire hates getting treated like a little kid. So, Lasercorn treated him like a little kid. "Just wait a wittle wonger, Joshy-Woshy," Lasercorn said in a baby-ish tone.

Jovenshire felt strong deja-vu right at the moment. "Karma..." he thought.

**Lasercorn's POV**

Even though I told Josh to calm down, I was freaking out a bit myself. Well, freaking out inside my head. Well, I guess I was freaking _in_, not out. Ha, that's what she said.

Anyway, I really hoped Ian could stall Sohinki before he left to his car...

**Anthony's POV**

I don't like editing. Actually, I have a very, very strong hate towards editing. It took a lot of convincing for me to agree to this. Kalel told me that she shipped Mari and Matt long before any of this happened, and it would make her really happy if they ended up together. Ian told me I should do it to 'help a bro out.' Josh told me that this was a perfect opportunity for both of them to find their "true love." Geez, I never knew Josh was a secret romantic... Next thing you know, he's gonna develop _Call of Duty: [Nicholas] Sparks of War_.

Anyway, none of this really convinced me to agree. But then, Lasercorn dropped a big one:

(That's what she said.)

Lasercorn told me that he'd rather give up fruit snacks than have Mari and Matt not be a couple.

That's when it hit me. The seriousness of the situation. Of them all. I didn't wanna' be a buzz-kill, so I reluctantly agreed with Josh and David to edit that night. Ian agreed immediately. I guess he ships Marhinki as well.

**Ian's POV**

Me and Anthony sat down and started editing. We were in the zone, BITCH! Sorry for that. Anyway, we actually got really focused on the editing until we heard Matt raise his voice.

"And THAT-" Matt yelled, also pounding his fist against the floor. "-is why I left that place." Mari was laughing hysterically at whatever story Matt told her. Matt was laughing, too, but at a much lower volume. Still, a huge smile practically took up his whole face. He was also blushing. I'm saying this in the most heterosexual way possible: it was kinda' cute. You know, how they were acting. They were acting like little preteens with puppy crushes. My heart practically exploded.

Again, that being said, I meant it in the most heterosexual way possible.

Me and Melanie both agreed long ago that Mari and Matt were perfect for each other. Even though Me and Anthony have known Mari longer, Mari definitely has a better connection with Matt. Sure, Mari's affectionate. To all of us, I guess. But, it's the little details in the interactions between Mari and Matt. The smiling and staring. Mari usually choosing Matt when given a choice. Matt usually trying to sit next to Mari. Their hands keeping in contact longer than a hi-five requires. The excessive hugging. The list goes on and on.

Anthony calls me a 'fag' for thinking this way, but, hey! Just call me a more attractive Nicholas Sparks.

Anyway, I just resumed editing, and stayed concentrated on it until I heard the exit door swing open and Matt's voice slowly decreasing in volume. I then remembered what I needed to do.

"MAAATT!" I yelled. Matt came rushing back, Mari following. I guess they were walking out together. _Aw!_ (I'm _aw_-ing in the most heterosexual way possible.)

"What?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice. Nice-guy-Matt, right here.

"I need help with editing."

"Um... Okay." Matt walked over slowly and sat down next to me at the computer. He then looked up at Mari, who was just standing there, and said, "You don't have to wait for me."

"But, I want to," Mari replied, the tip of her mouth curving just a bit to form the smallest of a smile. Matt smiled back.

My heart exploded again.

This was just too adorable.

Again, SAID IN THE MOST HETEROSEXUAL WAY. I think you guys get it by now.

Matt sat back down and asked me what I needed help on. I basically just asked him a bunch of shit questions about things I already knew. I mean, me and Anthony have managed a few YouTube channels pretty well. Why would I need help with editing now? Anyway, right when I was about to ask the last question I could think of to distract Matt, he interrupted me.

"Sorry, Ian," he said, jamming his hand in to his pocket. "I got a text," he said, pulling out from his pocket his phone.

"What does it say?" Mari asked.

Matt silently read the text he received, his eyes widening fairly quickly. "MY CAR IS BEING TOWED!" he exclaimed, dropping his phone on the table in shock and he raced out of the door. Mari followed closely behind him. After the two star-crossed lovers had exited, I grabbed Matt's phone and read what the text said.

_From: David Moss_  
_Message: Your car is getting towed. You'll thank me later. Adios, Matt._

"Good job, David," I thought. "Good firetrucking job."

**Sohinki's POV**

I raced outside, really hoping this was just some sort of cruel joke from David. But, nope. I went to the place where I parked my car this morning. My car wasn't there anymore. I smacked my face and groaned. "FUCKITY FUCKERSON FUCK!" I shouted, hoping every innocent-minded child on the block could hear that. I was mad. Really mad. Like a _you-did-not-just-erase-my-game-file-I-have-worked- so-fucking-hard-on _mad.

Mari walked up behind me and put her hand against my back. "Hey, Matt. Just calm down." And I did what I was told.

I don't know if it's love, or if Mari's some kind of sorceress, but every time she touches me, I turn in to putty in her hands. She's the only person who makes me feel this way. Past-girlfriends don't even compare to Mari. Mari has... this thing. I don't know what it is, but this thing makes me all googley-eyed, lovey-dovey and head-over-heels for her. I don't know... Is it love? Or infatuation? Ah, this is just confusing.

Anyway, after I calmed down, I sighed. "I guess I just have to walk home, or something," I said.

"No!" Mari yelled. I jumped and stared at her, surprised by her reaction. Mari started blushing. "I mean, I can drive you home, Matt. If you want," she said in her voice that always hypnotized me. I wanted to act suave in this situation, so I regained my composure, deepened my voice, and said, "Sure. Why not?" Mari giggled and took my _hand_ and lead me to her car. I still remained calm. On the outside.

Inside my head, I was all giddy and stuff. "I'm getting a ride home with Mari!" I thought. "THIS. IS. AMAZING."

"I'll have to remember to thank David later," I thought.

* * *

**A/N: And that concludes chapter three! Sorry that the story is progressing so slowly, but that's just how I roll! #swagalicious. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter; I'm just not really sure what's gonna' happen now. Writer's block has found another victim.**

**Also, due to the fact that school is starting soon, I might not be updating this story as quickly as I do at the moment. I'M SORRY, MY LOVELIES. I STILL LOVE YOU ALL.**

**Anyway, see y'all next time! BYE~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Herro again, lovelies! I'm back! I'm not dead!**

**Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but geometry is kicking my butt, and I'm just EXHAUSTED. Tests are every Thursday, man! Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this latest installment of ****_Fate and Dominoes_****! The next two chapters will focus on Mari's view on everything that's going on, yo. #girlpower**

* * *

**Mari's POV**

WHY DID I SAY I WOULD DRIVE MATT HOME?! Damn, I let my impulses take over me. I even grabbed his hand! DAFUQ, MARI! Out of anyone I could be attracted to, why Matt?

At first, I actually didn't like Matt. I thought he was complete suck-up and the type of person who thought no one was worthy enough to talk to them. But, then I actually started talking to him. And I found out that I was WAY OFF on my first impression of Matt. What I had mistaken for sucking up was actually him just being kind. And what I had mistaken for arrogant silence was actually him just being shy. (I thought it was kinda' adorable... IN A TOTALLY PLATONIC WAY. PSH, YEAH.) After I had figured out that I was wrong, not him, he and I became good friends. Like, really good friends. Even though I've known Matt for a fairly short time, I trust Matt more than anybody outside of my family. Maybe even more than I trusted Peter at the time. Hmm... So, yeah. Really good friends.

BUT NOT 'FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS,' GUYS. SHEESH. HEY, STOP CLAIMING YOU HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT IN THAT PERVERTED WAY. I SAW YOU THINKING LIKE THAT. I SAW IT EVEN WITH THE LITTLE VISION I HAVE. Ha, Asian jokes. You deserve a pat on the back, Mari.

Anyway, at the time I met Matt, I was still dating Peter. Well, Peter... He was one of those _ermahgerd-that-guy-is-so-attractive-I-must-ask-him -out-so-later-on-in-life-after-our-honeymoon-in-Ja pan-we-can-make-cute-multiracial-babies _kind of guy. Basically, I only asked him out because he was hot.

I know now that it wasn't very smart. But I did it anyway. Hey, what did I know?

Anyway, the first month with Peter was all cherry lip-gloss, goody-gumdrops, and all that cheery hub-bub. In other words, it was damn good. Like a romance novel. But... Then, the mood of our relationship started to change. For the worse.

Peter's true colors were starting to show. He started blowing me off daily to hang out with his guy friends. He started to brag about how attractive he was. Just plain being obnoxious. The list is goes on and on. So, one day, I decided I would confront him about his behavior.

* * *

_**Flashback~ *ominous music***_

**Third person POV**

Peter stumbled through the door around very early morning, the clatter of his heavy footsteps waking Mari up from her slumber upstairs. "_Drunk_" Mari thought. "_Again._" Mari sighed while sitting up in bed. She didn't know whether or not to confront Peter about his crude behavior. She decided to go downstairs and decide there, on the spot, whether or not to confront him. She slowly rolled out of her bed and walked to her vanity. While there, she stared at her reflection's eyes as she tried to make herself look presentable. Even though he could've been viewed as "_- just some drunk-ass fuck,_" Mari thought, "_I want to look good for him. I love him... Right?_"

Mari stared deeper in to her reflection's eyes. She didn't find love in them. In fact, she couldn't find an identifiable emotion in her eyes. Her reflection's eyes provided a mixture of multiple emotions, which just muddled up her mind. She decided to just forget about it and proceeded downstairs to see Peter.

Peter's eyes landed on Mari, but it took at least five seconds for his brain that was drowning in alcohol to register the fact that Mari's presence was right in front of him. When the thought registered, Peter's face broke in to a stupid smile, and he stumbled towards Mari and flung out his arms, preparing for a hug. But, Mari didn't want a hug. When Peter got in to her range of reach, Mari immediately put out her hand in order to stop Peter's procession. When Peter felt Mari's hand thump against his chest, he took a step back and crossed his arms, his face conveying mock pain.

"C'mon, Mari," he said, though Mari wasn't completely sure, considering his words were very slurred, so it was difficult to decipher the words he was trying to say. "I ju' wan' some' lovin'. Is dat too much tah' ax?" Upon this remark, Mari looked up to stare at Peter's face. Mari had to admit: even though Peter was drunk as drunk could be, he still looked pretty attractive. But then, she stared at his eyes. And she didn't see love. She only saw one thing: his desire for a hot and malleable bitch. He only wanted her for her looks. "The irony..." she thought. This was when she decided to confront Peter about his behavior.

Mari crossed her arms and started slowly tapping her foot either in frustration, impatience, or anxiousness. Mari inhaled and exhaled deeply. Then, she started to talk. "Peter, listen. You've bee-"

Mari was abruptly interrupted when Peter grabbed at her hips and pulled her in close to him. She managed to suppress a squeal she was about to make due to the surprise. Anyway, once Peter pulled her in, his grip tightened, and Mari noticed that. "Peter, what the fuck are you doing?"

"C'mon, babe. Le's have some fun tah'-night. Jus' you-" Peter paused to lean in to Mari's ear. "- 'n' me," he said, smirking. Most times, his smirk would immediately hypnotize Mari and put her in a trance, making her susceptible to any of Peter's ridiculous commands. But, not today. Mari used both of her arms and forced herself out of Peter's strong grip. Fortunately, she succeeded in escaping Peter's clasp, which actually surprised him.

"Peter, stop," she said.

"Babe, wha's wrong?" Peter asked.

"You. You're fucking wrong."

"Wha' the hell is tha' s'posed tah' mean?" Peter stepped forward in slight aggression.

Mari stood her ground. "Peter, this relationship has gone downhill. And you and I b-"

"Tha' ain't true! You a lie!" Peter exclaimed, taking another step forward.

Mari still stood her ground. "Shut the fuck up and listen for a moment."

Peter took _another_ step forward. "Don't you fucking tell me to shut up, bitch!" he yelled.

Mari was as solid as a rock where she stood. Her mood, though, changed from irritated to downright furious in a matter of milliseconds. "Bitch?! After all you've done, you have the nerve to call me a bitch?! Well, then. YOU'RE A FUCKING DOUCHE-BAG! Everything you do is just for yourself! When was the last time we went out together, huh?! Can't remember? That's because WE HAVEN'T GONE OUT TOGETHER IN MONTHS! All you ever think is, "_Me me me!_" while I'm here fucking worrying about you, you, fucking YOU!"

By this point, Peter was also furious. "Get the fuck outta' here!" Peter yelled.

"Gladly!" Mari yelled back. Mari swung open the front door and marched through it, slamming the door on her way out.

It was early morning, and Mari was dressed in a _T.A.R.D.I.S. _tank-top, Smosh sweats, glasses and Pikachu slippers. She was definitely feeling the cold air, shivering fiercely, goosebumps creeping from the tip of her fingers all the way to her neck. Anyway, as soon as Mari got outside, she felt the immediate need to cry. "_No,_" she thought. "_Don't cry. Don't let him win._" After gulping down her tears, she started calling the Smosh Games crew members. She needed someone to talk to, and she'd prefer to talk to one of her closer friends. The contact list went alphabetically by last name, starting with Ian. She started to call Ian.

"C'mon, Ian. Pick up," Mari muttered. But, alas. Ian didn't pick up. After ending her 'riveting' conversation with the voice-mail lady, Mari decided to check the time on her phone. "_3:51 A.M. No one's gonna' pick up_," Mari thought. But, despite her inference, Mari continued calling her friends. Next up was Lasercorn. She called Lasercorn.

After a long amount of waiting, right when Mari thought Lasercorn wasn't gonna' pick up, Mari heard his voice.

"Hello?"

"OH MY JEEBUS CHRIST DAVID I CAN'T BELIEVE Y-"

"I'm sure what you're saying is probably really important, but I'm not available at the momento. Sorry 'bout that. Heh. Leave a message after the beep. Lasercorn, out!" _Beep_.

"FUCK," Mari said loud enough for anyone within a mile-radius to hear her. Luckily, most people were asleep.

Next, she called Jovenshire and Anthony, who both didn't pick up. Then, the worst thing happened: Mari's phone died.

"_You cannot being firetrucking serious_," Mari thought. "_What am I supposed to do now? Well, the only person I haven't called is Matt..._"

After very little deliberation, Mari decided that she would just try to walk to Sohinki's house and pray to Buddha that Sohinki would answer the door. It was a small chance, but it was worth a shot!

Sohinki's house was a good mile away. Mari decided to jog instead of walk. She didn't want to stay outside in the cool air for too much longer. Along the way, Mari started pondering her relationship with Peter. "_It seems like he just doesn't care about me anymore_," Mari thought. "_Or, maybe... He just doesn't feel himself. When we first started dating, he was really kind and generous. Yeah, that's it. Maybe the stress of... - something... - is, I don't know... Making him grumpier, or something. He just doesn't feel himself. Yeah..._" By the time Mari had nearly convinced herself the hunch she created was fact, she reached Sohinki's house. It wasn't a huge house, but it wasn't necessarily small. It looked like a cozy abode, fit for any type of middle-class personality. Mari walked along the gravel path that lead toward the entrance of Sohinki's house, hearing the crunch of the pebbles under her slippers, the path border composed of green grass tickling the sides of her ankle.

When Mari reached Sohinki's front entrance, she ran the doorbell once. And waited for a bit. Nothing.  
Strike one.

Mari rang the doorbell once again. And waited a bit longer than she had waited before. Nothing.  
Strike two.

Mari rang the doorbell for what she decided would be her last time. "_If Sohinki doesn't open the door now, I'm leaving_," Mari thought. And, right when Mari almost took her first step in to a journey that led to an unknown destination, Sohinki's door slowly creaked open. once fully open, Mari was able to see Sohinki's full appearance. And she found it quite humorous. She started giggling, but Sohinki was to sleepy to notice.

Sohinki was wearing a decked-out _D.O.T.A._ t-shirt. "_What a surprise..._" Mari thought, sarcasm practically oozing out of her brain. Anyway, Sohinki had that worst case of bed-head Mari had ever seen. And his eyes were really squinted, probably due to his sleepiness. "_Squinty level: ASIAN_," Mari thought, giggling at her own joke.

You might be wondering now: _Why didn't you do a thorough description of the designed fabric that clothed/covered Sohinki's legs? _Well, let me tell you.

Sohinki wasn't wearing pants.

Yep, you read that correctly.

He was in his boxers.

And they weren't just any kind of boxers.

No.

They were special.

They were...

_*drumroll*_

SpongeBob boxers.

Yep, you read that correctly.

Normally, Sohinki would be embarrassed wearing SpongeBob boxers in front of an attractive girl, but he didn't really care right now.

See, kids? Get your full nine hours of sleep.

Anyway, after she finished giggling, Mari finally decided greet Sohinki.

"'Sup, Matt?" She said.

"Mari? What the hell are you doing up? It's, like, 4:20 in the morning," Sohinki said.

"I need to tell you something," Mari said while tapping her two index fingers together.

"Can't it wait till morning?" Sohinki asked.

"No, not really," Mari replied. "Plus, right now technically is morning."

"Fine..." Sohinki groaned while throwing back his head in defeat. Mari smiled. Sohinki stepped out of the way and performed a grand gesture, which included swinging his arm around willy-nilly, to welcome Mari inside.

"Come in, madam," Sohinki said in a low British accent.

"Surely," Mari replied in a British accent as well, but at a much higher pitch. She also attempted to do a curtsy, but fell while doing so. Fortunately, Sohinki managed to react upon instinct and reached out to try to save Mari from falling. That resulted in Mari landing on top of Sohinki, creating a very awkward atmosphere between these two friends. They both started blushing profusely and chuckle awkwardly. After a few seconds, Mari realized that she should get off of Sohinki and scrambled to do so. Sohinki then proceeded to scramble to get on to his feet. Mari and Sohinki just looked at each other and stared genuinely laughing about the awkward situation they were just in. "_I'm glad we can both just laugh it off_," Matt thought.

After laughing away the awkwardness, Mari and Sohinki linked arms like medieval civilians and walked to Sohinki's kitchen together.

* * *

**_Flashback will continue in next chapter..._**

* * *

** A/N: And that's another chapter! I'm sorry things are progressing slowly, but that's just how I roll! #swiggityswag LOL, jk. Anyway, please favorite and follow the story if you liked it and review the story if you want to... I guess. Yup.**

**Anyway, this is Ehtehkuh, signing off. BYE~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'M BACK! I'm sorry I didn't update this story last week; I was uber sick. Like, I was carrying around a box of Kleenex everywhere I went. And the only places I went to were my bedroom, the bathroom (for obvious reasons) and the kitchen. (For food, obviously. RAMEN ALL DAY, E'RYDAY!) **

**Anyway, here's the continuation of the flashback from the previous chapter of ****_Fate and Dominoes_****. Enjoy c:**

* * *

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

I walked in to Matt's kitchen surprised. I expected it to be really messy. Nothing against Matt. Just... A stereotypical gamer usually doesn't really keep their houses nice and clean. I mean, I've been over at David's house before, and... His house could probably be a topic for an episode of'_The Unexplained Files_.' Seriously. It's that bad. Mother-firetrucking radioactive laundry, I swear. But, Matt's kitchen was clean. Like, not just a "normal" clean. It was more like a _spoons-go-here-forks-go-here-and-all-of-your-shit- goes-to-the-dump-you-dirty-animal _clean.

I think Matt saw the astonishment on my face, because he pointed out that he's "a neat freak."

"Eh, like the kitchen?" he asked.

"Um, yeah..." I replied, doing a 360, seeing that all of his house was clean.

"Yup," Matt said, walking toward the fridge. "Did you expect something else?" he asked while opening the fridge.

"Yeah... I've been to David's house, and..."

"Yeah. David's an... Interesting case," he replied, pulling out some pizza on a plate covered with plastic wrap. "His fiance must have, like, no sense of smell." Matt popped the pizza in to the microwave. I laughed at Matt's remark about David's fiance. I saw Matt smile. Matt looked nice when he smiled...

WHAT AM I SAYING? BAH. FORGET IT.

"Please. Sit down," Matt said. I sat down on his kitchen stool. I twisted around a bit, discovering the stool could spin. And you know what everyone does with a spinny chair. I started spinning around like a lunatic on the stool yelling, "Whee!" Matt just rolled his eyes and laughed. Matt also looked nice laughing...

MARI. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

MARI. SHTAWP.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

It's sometimes hard to believe how immature Mari is. I just turned around and there she was, spinning on my kitchen stool like a little kid. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and laugh at her immaturity. She and I both stopped doing whatever we were doing when we heard the microwave beep.

I walked over to the microwave, pulled on the handle of the microwave door and pulled out the now hot pizza.

"Pizza!" I sang. Mari licked her lips in hunger. Her lips...

MATT. STOP.

I put the pizza down on the table, took the plastic wrap off of it, crumpled the plastic in a ball, put the ball in the trash and sat on a stool across from Mari. There were four slices on the plate, but that amount immediately decreased, because Mari grabbed a slice like a savage. I laughed and grabbed a slice. Noticing that I laughed, Mari playfully pouted.

"Hey. Dat wasn't nice," she said in a baby-ish voice.

"I'm sowwy," I replied. Mari and me both smiled and started eating.

"So-" I said between bites. "Why did you come over here at, like, four in the morning?" Mari suddenly stopped eating and just glared at the floor. "Oh, I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "You don't have to say anything i-"

"No," she interrupted. She put here pizza slice down. "You should know." She took a deep breath. "Me and Peter just got in a fight."

"But that doesn't explain why you're over here." I realized how rude that sounded and cursed under my breath. I should've been nicer to such a pretty girl...

STOP IT, MATT.

"Well..." she started. "Things got kinda' blown out of proportion. And I just need to be away from Peter for a while. You know, blow off some steam."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you want in '_Sohinki's Suites_,'" I said in a British accent.

"Why thank you," Mari replied, also in a British accent.

After we finished all of the pizza, Mari asked, "So... What do we do now?"

"Hmm..." I said, pretending to ponder. "I think you and I both know the best thing to do when you want to blow off steam."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mari asked.

"Yup," I replied, nodding.

Mari got up and started running through a random corridor, opening every door, trying to find what she was looking for.

"Mari?" I asked.

She popped her head out from the corridor. "What?"

"The gaming room is upstairs."

"Ah," she said in realization. She then zoomed past me and started racing up the staircase. "Last one up is a rotten egg!" she yelled. I rolled my eyes at her again and started running upstairs.

* * *

**Matt Sohinki's** **POV**

"Boom!" Mari yelled. "I won! In your face, Matt!"

"That's not fair!" I replied in mock anger. "You're Asian!" She started laughing hysterically. Five in the morning, and she's still pretty hyperactive.

We were playing _Super Smash_ _Brothers_. It's not the game I would've chosen, but Mari really wanted to play this game. (And I was secretly letting her win. Heh heh...)

Mari yawned and looked at the clock. "I probably should be getting home." She got up and started walking away. "See you later, Matt."

"Wait!" I yelled. She turned around quickly. "What?" she asked.

I started blushing. "I-it's too dark and cold outside. Y-you should probably... You know... Stay here, maybe..."

She just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sure. Thanks, Matt."

*mental fist-pump*

With a hand gesture, I told her to follow me and led her to the guest room. I pointed to the bed nervously.

"So... Here's where you can sleep for tonight," I said awkwardly.

"Thanks. For everything," Mari said.

"No prob," I replied. I was about to turn around to leave, but... Mari stepped forward and hugged me. It was a tight hug. And... It was nice. A nice hug.

"I don't know how I could live without you," she murmured. I was shocked.

"W-without me?" I asked.

She pulled back. "D-did I... Say that out loud?" she asked awkwardly.

"Um..."

"Well... Good night, I guess," she said. She started climbing in to the bed.

"Um... Good night," I replied with a wave of my hand. And I walked out of the room.

**Mari Takahashi's** **POV**

I watched Matt walk out of the room. When the door closed completely, I let one silent tear trickle from my eye.

"_I'm such a slut_," I thought. "_No wonder Peter got mad at me_." Yes; I had somehow twisted all of this up so that it was all my fault, when, in reality, it was Peter's fault.

I mean, it was Peter's fault... Right?

* * *

_**Flashback will continue in the next chapter...**_

* * *

**A/N: And that's another chapter! I'm sorry it's so short; I'll try to make the next ones longer. (That's what she said :3) I've just been really tired catching up on all of the homework I procrastinated on. Whoops :/**

**Anyway, this is Ehtehkuh, signing off. BYE~**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Herro, e'rybody in duh' hizzouse! And... I really did just type that. Wow .-. Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't update the story last week. I had... *drumroll*... NO INTERNET ACCESS LAST WEEK. *pauses to wait for your gasping to calm down* I know, I know. Twas a difficult period in my life... But I accumulated enough endurance to survive this unfortunate event... I'm lucky to still be alive to this very day...**

* * *

**Third person POV**

Mari woke up with her bangs plastered against her face, the natural adhesive of dried saliva in its full glory. Her hair looked like the scrappy mane of a male lion, or the snakes that protruded out of Medusa's scalp, hissing violently at any strangers. Her eyelids were lined with dry, brittle crust that were very irksome to her optical organs. As she rose, she spat violently, trying to remove the hair that had somehow traveled in to her mouth. You could distinctly hear the kinks in her spine cracking in to place as she sat up. Once she stopped spitting, she looked to her left, her neck crackling disgustingly, trying to view the clock. She rubbed her crusty eyes to better her vision, and it worked. The clock read 2:42 P.M. Mari decided she should probably get up, whether she wanted to or not. So, she swung her legs over to the right side of the bed, stood up slowly and walked lazily out of the room, trying to locate the kitchen. She slammed in to the door on the way out as well, spouting unnecessary obscenities.

As you can see, Mari is the epitome of glamour.

She stepped out in to the hallway, still marveling at how big Matt's house was and how tidy it was. She turned left and took a step forward, only to bump in to Matt, Matt toppling over her. The tray Matt was holding flew out of his hands, the contents the tray held spilled. As they fell down, their lips brushed for a nanosecond. A nanosecond Mari wouldn't ever forget.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

We... We kinda'... We _kissed_, I guess. Well, it wasn't really a kiss. I don't even think Matt noticed. But, I did. And... I wouldn't say the "kiss" was anything amazing. I... Just wouldn't say it was bad, either. It was... It was nice, I guess.

Oh, who am I kidding?! Looking back on this, I realized that... I liked it. Damn, I really liked it. Out of all of the nanoseconds in my life, that was definitely in the top ten. Thing is: I don't know why. It wasn't a passionate kiss, or anything. It's not even what people would classify as a "good kiss." Not even a "kiss," period. But, for me... It was like magic. Damn; I'm gonna' say it. It was mother-firetruckin' _magical_. It immediately brightened my mood. I've shared long, passionate kisses with Peter, and all of them fall flat to this one nanosecond where Matt and I just brushed lips.

Anyway, scrambling to get off of me, Matt started sputtering apologies. "O-oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Mari!" I stood up and just chuckled at him. "Don't worry; I'm more worried about what you dropped." I turned around to see what Matt dropped. I saw a flipped wooden tray, orange liquid seeping in to Matt's carpet, bacon and scrambled eggs all over, a sandwich and its contents splayed everywhere and some eating utensils. I was speechless.

"Was th-that-" I started. "-for me?" I asked while blushing.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

"Well, yeah," I answered, blushing as well. "I figured you might've been hungry, so... I made you some food and was gonna' wake you up. Turns out you were -um- already awake," I said while chuckling nervously.

"Aw, how sweet!" Mari said. I just blushed more. "Well," I said. "It's not much. I'm sure any other person would do the same thing. I mea- UMPH." I was very surprised when Mari pulled me in for a hug. "Thanks, Matt. For realzies," she whispered in to my ear, giggling softly. My face still remained shocked, eyes wide open as she pulled away. My mind spent about a minute processing Mari's words. After doing so, I replied, "You're wel-" I paused because my voice cracked, causing my cheeks to burn. I started again, this time with a lower voice. "You're welcome, Mari."

"Well!" she said. "Better go back!" I looked at her, confused. She noticed I needed clarification. "I'm going back home. I think I'm gonna' try to work it out with Peter."

I was disappointed. Not gonna' lie. "Oh," I muttered.

"See yah'!" she said with a wave of her hand. She started walking away. I turned to follow her movement. When she started to walk down the stairs at the end of the hall, I yelled, "S-see you later!" And she left.

As you can see, I am the definition of the word, "smooth."

**Third person POV**

Mari started her walk home, still thinking about that special nanosecond. It made her gleam in happiness. But then she stopped for a moment. "_What about Peter?_" she thought. One part of her told her to just ditch Peter. "_What has he ever done for you, Mari? Zip. Zilch. He's done nothing_," that part of Mari thought. However, the other part of her told her to stay with Peter. "_Think about the old Peter. Remember him? Sweet. Romantic. Charming. He's still there!_" this part of Mari thought. There really was no resolution Mari came up with, for these two parts of her didn't want to compromise. The end result was an irritating migraine. "_Thank you oh-so very much, conscience_," Mari thought sarcastically. But, by that time, Mari had already arrived home. So, the pro-Peter side of her won out. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, for she forgot the keys when she had angrily stormed out of this very house the other night.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

Peter answered the door. Genuine worry was all over his face. "Mari!" he exclaimed, closing the gap between us in a tight hug. "Oh my fucking gosh, I'm so glad you came back! I-I called you, but you didn't pick up! A-and... I'm just so glad you're back," he said in a rush. He then frantically kissed me. It was a long kiss. I'm sure Peter was feeling it. But, I... This kiss just didn't match up with that moment where Matt and I brushed lips...

"_Mari_," the pro-Peter side of my brain warned. "_You're with_ _Peter_."

After that kiss, Peter stepped back. "Come on in!" he said, his hands gesturing an entrance. I just stood there.

"Peter. I'm not taking back all of the things I said last night. You know that they're true," I said.

Peter sighed with a smile. "I know now," he said. "I signed up for rehab to fix my alcohol problems. Sessions start on Wednesday."

"_See_," the pro-Peter side of me said. "_I told yah'. Peter's the guy for yah'!_" it said. For once, I was in agreement with this side of myself.

"Peter," I said with a smile; a silent tear was shed. This time, he didn't hug me. I hugged him.

And... Long story short, Peter did go to rehab. But then he quit. He called it complete bullshit. He started drinking again. Fast forward. He's back to his old ways. I still stayed with him, though. The thoughts of sweet, romantic, charming Peter kept me cemented there. Fast forward again. Peter dumped me for no good reason. Fast forward once again. I'm driving Matt home.

Yup.

* * *

_**Flashback is [finally] over! *hooting and hollering***_

* * *

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

I actually live quite a long way from the Smosh Games HQ. About a half an hour drive. Which means... A half an hour with Mari! Single, totally available Mari! I'm sorry if I sounded like a douche-bag in that moment, but... Damn. Such good circumstances for me here.

(Plus, an Asian lady is driving. Probably gonna' take more that half an hour, right? *rim-shot* Heh? Heh? 'No?' That's understandable... That was a bit offensive...)

Mari started the car, and we started rolling. I leaned towards the radio and started playing with the dials. "So," I started. "What songs do you like to listen to?"

"Something bumpin'!" she said. She then held her hand up in the form of a gang sign. Her thumb was tucked in to her palm. She held her four straight fingers out, gaps between her pinky and ring finger , and her middle finger and index finger. Her middle finger and ring finger overlapped each other. Ultimately, this formed the shape of a 'W.' "West side!" she said, waving the sign around.

"But you're Asian," I replied. I took her hand and rotated it ninety degrees, forming an 'E.' "East side! Right?" I said awkwardly. Mari just rolled her eyes and laughed at my lame joke.

Point: Sohinki.

Zero: However the opponent is... I don't really know.

Anyway, I kept going through all the radio stations until I could find something "bumpin'." I stopped when I heard the voice of Chamillionaire. "Got it!" I said. Mari nodded in approval. "Sweet," she said.

We nodded our heads simultaneously to the beat of the chorus. Believe it or not, I have the rap for this song completely memorized. When the verses came by, I spit those rhymes out like a G!

Okay, imagine that last sentence _didn't_ come out of a white person's mouth.

"Police think they can see me lean! I'm tint so it ain't easy to be seen! When you see me ride by, they can see the glean and my shine on the deck and the TV screen!" I rapped. I continued for the whole song, rapping every bit. Once the song was over, Mari turned off the radio and applauded me. "Wow," she said in surprise. "Nice job. For a white boy," she said while smirking.

"Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked. She just smiled and said, "Never mind." I was sputtering multiple "c'mon"s and "what the hell"s as we pulled in to the vacant 7-11 gas station.

"Just need to fill up the gas tank, and we'll be good to go," Mari said. The setting sun really complemented Mari's eyes. (Wow. That sounded really gay.) Mari got out of the car for a moment to stick the gas pump in the car to fill it up. Ha! That's what she said!

What? Don't tell me you weren't thinking about it that way! DON'T LIE TO ME! JUST TRY TO FUCKING LIE TO ME! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, SIR!

Anyway, after Mari was done, she got back in the car and we started discussing fan theories about _Power Rangers_.

Yes, we actually did that.

And, I mean, a girl I can discuss _Power Rangers _fan theories with?

Definitely my kind of woman. Am I right, fellow geeks?

Anyway, I only paused conversation when I saw through the rear-view mirror two shady characters approaching Mari's car.

"Um..." I started. "Mari?" I asked.

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**A/N: And that's another chapter! I hope you liked it! If so, please favorite, follow and review the chapter, 'cuz I will help you in math if you do! Math tutoring is my strange form of appreciation. So cool, right? #thuglife c:**

**Anyway, this is Ehtehkuh, signing off. BYE~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey, guys! How's it goin'? Good? Good! Oh, how was my day? Oh, it was splendid! Thanks for asking! Hey, do you wanna' be my best friend? You don't?... Oh. That's cool, I guess.**

**Welp, here's another chapter of ****_Fate and Dominoes_****! Should I change the title? It seems kind of lame, if you ask me :P**

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**Mari Takahashi's POV**

"What's wrong?" I asked Matt. We were just casually talking about _Power Rangers_ fan theories when his smile just dropped from his face and he stuttered out my name in a worried tone.

"L-look behind you," Matt said, his voice quavering. I nonchalantly turned my head around, expecting no sort of immediate danger whatsoever. Instead, I made eye contact with a big, burly guy wearing something Hagrid would wear and holding a pistol. This guy looked like the product of one of the guys from _Duck Dynasty_ and freaking Chewbacca getting together and making a baby during an African safari, only to abandon the baby and let it be raised by, like, freaking lions, or something like that. In other words, this dude was a scary mother-firetrucker. I almost shit bricks. To his immediate right was a much smaller guy, probably his friend, that was holding a baseball bat. Now, if Clay Aiken, Dobby, and the guy from _What Not To Wear_ had a menage a trois and produced twins, and then one of the twins strangled the other with its own umbilical cord, this small dude messing with me would be that psycho, killer baby-child here. Anyway, the blood drained from my face. The bigger mugger approached my window and signaled for me to lower my window. I hesitantly obeyed.

"H-hey there," I said awkwardly. "H-how's it g-"

"Get out of the car," the man said roughly, a Scottish accent hinted in his voice. Even though he was probably gonna' fuck me up, I couldn't deny how bad-ass his accent sounded. The bad-assery levels were sky-high.

"Wh-what?" I asked, pulling at the collar of my shirt while sweating, due to my nervousness.

"Get the fuck out," he said. "Or I'll make you." He pointed his gun straight at my forehead. At that point, I was not gonna' argue with this guy, and neither was Matt. This dude probably weighed as much a Matt and I combined, if not more. And his friend... Wasn't actually that intimidating. But, still. There was still this big guy right here. Matt and I got out of my car as quickly as possible, because we definitely weren't planning to fuck with this guy. No sirree-bob, thank you very much. Anyway, once we've exited the car, these two fuckers enter my car, start my car with my keys that I left in the ignition, and drive away.

IN MY CAR.

MY FIRETRUCKING CAR.

Like, hello? Do you know what kind of car I had? It was a nice ass convertible, with flashy thingies, and voice-control, and nice gas mileage, because I'm a eco-friendly bitch. And the car had unnecessary-but-still-really-awesome heated seats. By the way, inconsiderate mo-foes, shit like that costs a shit-ton of money. And money is a touchy subject for an Asian child like me. So, lemme' just say:

FUH-UCK.

AH-YOU.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

I am such a pussy.

I almost pissed my pants when I saw these "gentlemen" walk up to Mari's car. Now, her car is gone. And I didn't do squat in trying to get it back. Mari just leaned against the side of one of the gas-pump machine-thingies and groaned loudly in frustration, putting her head in her hands. She looked like she was about to cry.

But, no fear, m'lady! Sohinki is here to rescue you!

But, honestly, I didn't really know how to handle the situation. I'm not usually the one who stops the crying; I start it. Sometimes, I act like the definition of "major-league asshole," in my own opinion. I was asking myself so many questions. Like, what do you do here? Are you supposed to immediately go up to the girl and comfort her? Or is that to fast? Are you supposed to, like, I don't know... Wait? So she can blow off some steam before you ask her? Or... Do you pet her? Like a dog? Or is that demeaning? I ended up just going for it. I awkwardly put my hand on her left shoulder and stroked her shoulder.

Wait; isn't that kind of like petting her?

You were treating Mari like a dog, Matt.

Good going!

Anyway, I asked her, "Are you okay?"

She lifted her head and stood up straight to say, "This. Fucking. Sucks." She then started crying. Like, WHAT DO I DO NOW?! UNCHARTED TERRITORY! ABORT! FISSION MAILED! ABORT!

I decided to go with the awkward approach and ask her, "Do you, like, want a hug, or something?" I held out my arms gawkily, a stupid, small smile on my face.

Mari just nodded like a small toddler and walked into my arms. Just like that. She continued to wrap her arms around me and rest her chin on my shoulder.

Like, what?!

I was in complete shock for a few seconds. She was hugging me. Again. I should have been used to this by now, but I was still really surprised when Mari hugged me. It took me a while to comprehend the fact that Mari was hugging me. When that finally processed through my mind, I hugged Mari back awkward and slowly. She was still crying.

"I'm just so tired," she whimpered.

"It'll be okay," I said, lifting my hand up to gently stroke her hair.

We continued hugging for a good amount of time, silently enjoying each other's company. After a minute or so, we [sadly] broke the hug. At that point, we stood about a foot apart, my hands on her shoulders. Mari's crying was reduced to sniffling. I needed to be calm and collected at this time. For Mari.

"Mari. Why don't we try to call somebody to pick us up?" I asked.

"Matt. I left my cellphone in the the car," she replied, crossing her arms.

"That's cool. I'll just use my phone and call-" I said while reaching for my phone, only to realize I didn't have my phone. Upon realization, I face-palmed myself so hard that it probably left a mark.

"I must've left my phone at the HQ!" I yelled in frustration.

"What?!" Mari called out.

Seeing Mari's distress, I went back to being calm. "That's okay," I started. "We'll just... Um... I know!" I blurted, popping up like a jack-in-the box. "We'll just ask the guy inside the gas station's convenience store if we can borrow his phone!" I was beaming, thinking I was _so_ briliant for coming up with this solution.

"Um, Sherlock?" Mari asked, pointing towards the store.

"What?" I asked back, turning my head in the direction Mari was pointing. My smile dissipated when I saw the all of the lights were out in the store.

"What kind of gas station store isn't open 24/7?!" I exclaimed.

"Apparently, that one," Mari said, coolly.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

I finally chilled out by the time Matt got riled up. "Seriously?!" He shouted, face-palming himself with both of his hands.

"Matt, why don't we just try to walk home?" I asked.

Matt just sighed, exhausted, and said, "Sure." We started walking to Matt's place, however far that may have been. Matt had his hands stuffed in his jacket's pockets, and I had my arms swinging by my sides. We walked for about five minutes, again just enjoying each other's company. I smiled at Matt. He smiled back at me. My heart fluttered.

IN A TOTALLY PLATONIC WAY.

WE'RE JUST FRIENDS.

Matt was the first to break the silence. "Doesn't the sunset look nice?" he asked, pointing in some direction. I looked in the direction Matt was pointing and saw a beautiful scene. The sun was setting over the green, grass hills, embracing one of the few truly natural wonders that have not yet been destroyed by the people of this concrete-coated world. The sky was painted with beautiful hues of orange, yellow, and even a bit of purple. The display reminded me of an acrylic painting I saw at-

I MEAN, dat sunset doe. It was 'aight, homie-gee.

I got street-cred, yo.

Fo-shizzle-my-grizzle-fo-lizzle.

Hizzle-nizzle.

Pizzle.

Yeah. So swag. All up in the hizzouse.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

"That sounded kinda' gay," Mari replied while chuckling. I rolled my eyes and said, "You can't deny it."

She just smiled. And I smiled back. I love her smile. And her face. And her personality. And her. I love h-

WHAT?! I DIDN'T SAY NOTHIN', YO.

YOU'RE HEARING THINGS.

WHAT HALLUCINOGENS ARE YOU ON, ANYWAY? GEEZ.

Anyway, we continued walking side-by-side in silence for just a few more seconds when Mari randomly asked me, "How was your life? Like, when you were a fetus."

"Why do you ask?" I asked in return.

"I don't know," she said. "Just curious."

"Well," I started. "I obviously wasn't the most popular kid. The only friends I had were David and Josh, but they were my parents' friends' kids, so we were kind of 'forced friends,' I guess. We did learn that we all loved video games, and we gamed for hours and hours everyday. As you can see, we haven't stopped," I said, chuckling. Mari giggled as well.

"So..." I started. "How about you? How was your life as a fetus?" I asked, smiling suavely.

Yeah... *puts on sunglasses*

"Well, similar to you. I wasn't a popular kid. Nobody was quite as hardcore about anime as I was," she said. I chuckled some more at this remark, which made her smile. "I had one friend," she continued. "And she always stood up for me. She watched out for me. She was my bodyguard." Mari looked up to the sky, probably reminiscing about her past. "But, then," Mari went on, "She moved. Her mom got a job offer, and she moved. And the bullies took advantage of that." Mari's happy attitude suddenly disappeared. "They picked on me. Teased me. Shoved me around. I went through an emo phase. The whole experience sucked," she said. I was absolutely appalled. How could people be so mean to Mari? Mari is... She's perfect.

"Mari. Y-you know that if I was there, I would've helped you, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling again. "'Cause you're a nice guy," she said, playfully bumping into me. I then playfully bumped into her, causing her to laugh. I smiled. She was happy. And when she's happy, I'm happy.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

Matt and I went back to being silent and just enjoyed being side-by-side. The sun had set and the air grew cold. At this point, I could see our breath in the air as fog. I crossed my arms and rubbed my arms covered with goosebumps, since I was wearing a short-sleeve shirt. Matt had a hood over his head, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Matt looked over at me and saw my predicament. He started to unzip his jacket and said, "Mari, take my jacket."

"No," I replied. "I don't need it," I said, my teeth clacking.

Matt took off his jacket and held it out to me. "Just take it," he insisted. I still refused taking it. I didn't want to burden Matt. I didn't want to give Matt the need to take care of me. Matt just sighed in frustration and took my arm, pulled his jacket sleeve over it, walked around me, grabbed my other arm, and pulled his jacket sleeve over my other arm. I was suddenly encased in warmth. His jacket was pretty damn nice. I zipped up his jacket and pulled his hood over my head.

"Thanks, Matt," I said.

"N-no prob," he replied shivering. Now he was fucking cold.

Dammit.

I started thinking, "_How can I warm Matt up?_" Then, I felt Matt's hand brush against mine. "_Well_," I thought, "_A human is warm-blooded. Meaning that they are warm._" I reacted upon instinct and grabbed Matt's hand, interlacing my fingers with his. He looked at me with a familiar face of surprise. Hey; I'm bag of tricks.

SILLY RABBIT! TRICKS ARE FOR KIDS!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHASOFUNNYHAHAHAHAGOODONEMARIHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHA

So, Matt and I continued walking home, my hand in his.

#FuckPeter.

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**A/N: That last line is based off of PewDiePie's _#FuckRyan_, by the way. THIS CHAPTER GOT A LITTLE... "HEATED." Ha, get it? No? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. This chapter is a bit stranger than some of the others. Come on; it's like midnight where I am right now, and I spent an hour on Tumblr before starting to write this fanfiction, so... Yeah. There are only so many results.**

**Anyway, this is Ehtehkuh, signing off. BYE~**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Herro, lovelies! I'm sorry for not posting a new chapter sooner; my area had this freak power-outage (no lie, yo). No device in my area got internet, except for [fortunately] my phone. (I had never been so popular in my life c': ) Anyway, here is a new chapter of ****_Fate and Dominoes_****! I'm choosing not to change the title, because... YOLO :/**

**(P.S. Have you guys seen the latest ****_Super Mari Fun Time_****? Sohinki guest-stars on this episode, and, might I say... Twas ADORBS! :D)**

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**Matt Sohinki's POV**

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Mari is holding my hand.

My fucking hand.

THANK YOU, GOD.

OR WHOEVER'S UP THERE.

JESUS CHRIST, BUDDHA, SEKHMET-

MOTHER-FIRETRUCKING THANK YOU.

Anyway, Mari and I continued walking, her hand in my hand, our sides playfully bumping occasionally, making both of us laugh. I seriously felt like I was in heaven. I was wondering if Mari was, like, falling for me. I mean, I was already head-over-heels for Mari, but... I was thinking, _Does she feel the same way?_ I then quickly shook my head physically, dismissing and ridding that thought. _How could Mari like someone like me? Anyway, it doesn't matter whether or not Mari likes me_, I thought. _I'll always be here for her. No matter what._

I really don't remember a time where I felt this way about anyone. Well, except for, like my family. And the rest of the Smosh Games crew, I guess. In a heterosexual way, I mean. Geez, guys.

But, with Mari... It's this romantic feeling. Like the really stereotypical "butterflies" someone gets when the person of their interest passes by. Or always trying to impress their person of interest whenever they're around. Like, during all of the Game Bangs. I'm always in my _super-try-hard-mode_ because Mari's there. And I always try to make up stupid, random excuses to make up for the dumb mistakes I commit in front of Mari. She just makes me feel... _That_ way. I can sort of describe it. It feels like... Imagine there's this- I don't know- tall person in your life. And they'll always be taller than you. And while you're growing, they're growing. Even if you grew to freaking ten feet tall, that person would be, like, ten _yards_ tall. And that tall person in your life would constantly remind you that you're shorter. And you'll try to do idiotic things to try to be as tall as that person, like fucking take up stilt-walking, or some shit like that, but it never really works. I guess that's kind of what it's like with Mari. I mean, in a metaphorical sense, because it's pretty obvious that Mari being "tall" isn't the issue here, for she's... How do you say... _Vertically_ _challenged_? Yeah; let's go with that.

Okay; let's quit the gibberish. What I mean is that Mari is like the person I'm trying to impress. I'm always trying to get Mari to see that I really want to be with her. But, no matter what stupid things I do, no matter how many hints I drop, Mari just won't get the message I'm trying to send. It kind of sucks, but at least we're friends, right? And, I know what people say: "DON'T ENTER THE FRIEND ZONE." Well, you know what? Being friends with Mari is way better than being fucking distant from her. My friendship with Mari is probably one of the best things to ever happen to me.

And you know what them married people say: They usually call their spouses "their best friends." So... Hey. Let's just wait and see.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

It was kind of awkward when I first grabbed Matt's hand. When I held his hand, he abruptly stopped walking and just gawked at me for a moment, probably think this was just a joke. Once he saw that I wasn't pulling his leg, he just ferociously shook his head and we continued walking.

I don't know for sure, but I think I had fallen for Matt by that point. Not like, completely tipped over, but slightly tilted. Do you get what I mean? Probably not. I never make much sense anyway.

Anyway, we just continued walking. I bumped into Matt on accident. Thinking we were playing a game or something, Matt bumped me back. He didn't bump me that hard, but I still dramatically (some might even say somewhat 'theatrically') started to fall, saving myself only at the last moment. When I steadied myself, I exhaled deeply, like I had just survived a a life-threatening event, like a shark attack, or the apocalypse. Matt just burst out laughing at my ironic lack of gracefulness, since I'm a ballet dancer, and we're supposed to be graceful and shit. I tried being mad at Matt for laughing at my expense, but I could bring myself to do it. It was too hard. I could never get seriously get mad at Matt. Plus, Matt looked completely silly hysterically laughing. His white-boy face had turned firetruck red, he sounded like he was suffocating, and his saliva was flying. Once he started calming down, his one last drop of spit flung and hit my cheek, causing me to recoil in disgust. Once Matt had completely calmed down, I grabbed the short sleeve of his shirt to wipe my soiled cheek, pretending to gag to express my amount of disgust.

"Gosh, Matt. I didn't ask to be in the splash zone," I said.

"Hey. People usually pay to be in the splash zone. You should be happy with your freaking Asian money-saving genes," Matt replied.

I rolled my eyes at another one of Matt's lame jokes. "You're so racist," I said.

"It's not racist if it's true. It's like if I said, 'Black people are dark-skinned,' and you said, 'Oh, that's racist!'" Matt stated.

"But that doesn't apply to all Asians," I rebutted. I saw no sense or logic in his statement. Okay, maybe not zero sense... But... WHATEVER.

Matt just stared at me with a look that said, "You've gotta' be kidding to me."

I playfully punched his shoulder and said, "You're an asshole."

"You chose to hold hands with this asshole," Matt retorted, shrugging his shoulders.

I just chuckled, causing Matt to chuckle as well. He's so cute when he chuckles.

Yup.

I'm not even gonna' trying to deny the fact I thought that.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

I decided we needed to get down to business. "So," I started. "Are we just gonna' walk home, or are we gonna' try to contact someone, like David or Josh? Or..."

Mari took a second to think, and replied with, "I wanna' try to call someone. Let's just scan the area and try to look for some place with a phone." Mari and I then started to scan the deserted area in front of us. We saw a movie theater in front of us, several miscellaneous shops, a hospital at the end of the block. In my peripheral vision, I saw the flickering lights of a Nordstrom Rack above us. It was then when Mari and I both finally realized that we were literally just strolling through a very occupied area, capable of asking any shop if we could borrow a phone, but completely oblivious of all of this. Mari and I looked at each other with complete disbelief, and then just laughed at our idiocy. I then let go of Mari's hand to open the door to the near Nordstrom Rack, holding the door open for Mari to enter. I bowed like a gentleman, gesturing Mari's entrance.

"Enter, m'lady," I said in a fancy voice. It was just like that one night where Mari came over to my house, and I was in my SpongeBob boxers. Good thing I have pants on this time.

"Surely," she replied, curtsying. Unlike the last time, Mari didn't fall. She actually entered gracefully in to the department store. I followed close behind her, and grabbed her hand again without hesitation.

What would one call this? First base? UNKNOWN TERRITORY.

We walked up to the customer service area, which was conveniently located near the entrance of the store. There was a middle-aged woman with bleached hair and a toxic amount of make-up on her face manning the customer service, smacking her gum obnoxiously. As we neared the desk, we started to move more cautiously, for this lady looked like she didn't want to take shit from anybody. Once we approached the stand, I took initiative and hesitantly asked, "Um... Is there a phone I could borrow?"

The lady just shrugged and said, "Sure. Follow me." She proceeded to trying to unlatch the small door that block the public from entering, but was struggling somehow. Suddenly, Mari and I heard glass shatter behind us and turned around quickly to identify what was going on. We saw several beings disguised and masked in a ton of clothing, holding shotguns. Then, these masked criminals started firing like crazy. Bullets literally whizzed right past us, hitting the customer service lady. I yelled for Mari to jump the small door and huddle behind the customer service desk. She obeyed immediately. I continued to jump the door and draped my body over Mari's, my right hand grasping her shoulder to comfort her, my left hand on the floor, stabilizing my position. It was like _The Last of Us_. She was Ellie, and I was Joel. I would do anything to protect her. The same way Joel feels about Ellie.

I heard Mari's loud sobbing, and wondered why she was sobbing. I finally realized why Mari was crying when I saw he lifeless body of the customer service lady in front of us. Her bleach-blonde hair was spread full-circle on the ground around her face, like a lion's mane. Blood escaped through the dead center of her forehead. It was quite a sight to absorb. This lady stood before us, alive, just moments ago. And now she's fucking dead. I understood why Mari was crying, and proceeded to try and comfort her.

I leaned close to Mari's ear and whispered, "Don't cry."

"That could've happened to me," she replied, choking on her tears. "I'm so fucking scared."

"Hey, calm down, Mari."

Mari continued crying.

"Hey-" I started. I got up on to a kneeling position. I took Mari's body and moved it in a way so that Mari was also in a kneeling position, facing me. Mari's cheeks were stained with her tears. Anyway, I took her hands in mine and said, "Mari. I would never let anyone hurt you. I promise." She looked at me for a moment, completely calm. Her eyes made full contact with mine.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

I stared longingly into his beautiful green eyes. Then, I did something I should've done long ago. I leaned forward and kissed Matt. Full-on. I closed my eyes and dove right in. His lips were plush against mine, and my fear just melted away. The kiss was... Dare I say... Magical. Fucking magical. One of the best moments in my life. It was... Amazing. I really don't have anymore words to explain it. My worries just... Melted away. I was calm once again.

I was calm with Matt.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

Mari just leaned in and kissed me. When our lips made contact, my eyes shot wide open in shock. Once I realized I wasn't dreaming, I closed my eyes and joined Mari in this embrace. The butterflies were vanquished. Compassion coursed through my bloodstream. My heartbeat increased heavily. My heart's embers were feed and were alive and well at this time. Now, I'm trying to be all poetic about this because there really is no other way to describe the feeling. Her lips were soft, like pillows, against mine. We continued kissing for a fairly long amount of time, only releasing when we needed to take a breath of air. It was... Overall, pretty fucking awesome.

All of the robbers had finally left before our kiss ended. When we pulled apart, I started blushing furiously. I didn't want to show Mari the the fact that I was blushing, so I looked down towards our hands, trying lamely to hide my rosy cheeks. Once I looked down, I saw that my right hand was covered in... _Blood_. It was all over my right hand. I immediately fell backward in surprise and exclaimed, "The fuck?!" I couldn't figure out how blood got on my right hand. My right hand... Which was previously clasped on to...

Mari's shoulder.

I hesitantly turned my head so I could look at Mari's shoulder and confirm whether or not my current theory was true, which I had hoped for dear Lord was not. I finally had sight of the shoulder my right hand was previously holding on to, and... It was punctured. Blood was still escaping the wound. Mari saw my facial expression and asked, "Matt? What's wrong?" She then looked at what I was looking at and saw that her shoulder was shot.

Fuck. Mari was fucking shot.

So much for my promise of not letting anyone hurt her.

**Mari Takahashi's POV**

My shoulder was shot.

Fuck; I was shot.

In the heat of the event, I didn't notice I got shot. Now that I had a good look of my gunshot wound, the pain finally hit me, and I doubled over, groaning in pain. Matt got by my side and knelt by it, stroking my hair.

"Mari. I'm so sorry," he said. He started to cry. I didn't understand. Why was he sorry?

"Not your fault," I said in between gasps of pain. I was now in a real life-threatening situation, for blood was still escaping the wound.

And, just like that, I blacked out. Boom.

**Matt Sohinki's POV**

According to some documentary I had watched some time back, in really intense situations, a human's body sometimes goes "super human," or something life that. I honestly thought that was bullshit until this very moment. In this very moment, I scooped Mari into my arms and mentally scanned the list of possible resolutions in this situation. Then, I remembered that there was a hospital at the of the street. Then, with Mari still in my arms, I jumped over the small door of the customer service desk and zoomed out of the door. I sprinted like an Olympian toward the end of the street, toward the hospital. I burst through the main entrance of the hospital, like a maniac. All eyes in the room turned to me, and the limp body in my arms.

"This girls needs help!" I yelled.

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**A/N: Oh! Cliffhanger! I'm gonna' try to upload a new chapter this week to try and make up for my slow rate of chapter uploading. (Did I say that correctly? Ah, whatevs.)**

**Shout-out to... A random guest :/ Well, this guest gave me some constructive criticism that I'm totally okay with. I actually think this criticism will improve the tone of this story, so... Thank you, stranger! I love you, too!  
**

**This is Ehtehkuh, signing off. BYE~**


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